Terre Pruitt's Blog

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Posts Tagged ‘heart chakra’

Nia White Belt P8 – Core – 2020

Posted by terrepruitt on August 26, 2020

Nia describes the core as three body weights, pelvis, chest, and head. In the training we are currently studying Nia White Belt P8 – Core | Three Body Weights. Again – at least I think I have mentioned it – since Nia is so rich and it is easy to spend a lot of time on one thing, I somewhat feel our two hours are a little rushed, even though Debbie skillfully got through the entire lesson. It would be easy to spend more time. Not only does Nia study the bone structure of the core (the pelvis, chest, and head) but it incorporates the energies associated with each. So the description of the principle is “sensory study of energy centers.”

First we discussed the Nia 52 Moves associated with the core. There are seven.

PELVIS MOVES (2)Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia online, San Jose Virtual classes, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, Nia Technique, Yin Yoga, stretch classes, online exercise, Zoom classes, virtual yoga, City of San Jose online exercise, live classes via Zoom
Pelvic Circles
Hip Bumps

CHEST MOVES (2)
Chest Isolations
Shimmy

SPINE MOVES (2)
Undulation
Spinal Roll

HEAD MOVE (1)
Head and Eye Movements

Then we discussed the physical body as is represented by the three points of the triad for Principle 8, pelvis, chest, and head. We reviewed the bones in the pelvis and then moved through the two pelvis move. Since Nia is based on how the body moves we spend a lot of time on how the body is put together. When you understand how the bones move in relation to each other is helps you understand how the body is supposed to move AND, if you pay attention, it can help you understand how your body moves.  For many people, when bones are likened to objects it helps with understanding how they function, say the pelvis is a bowl or a container that is meant to hold and contain and ribs are like a cage made to protect. Remembering that the hip joint is a ball and socket and NOT a hinged joint could lead to a smooth gait when picturing the movement as a rolling movement and not a back and forth. So, in Nia, we examine the structures, learn how they are supposed to move according to the way they were designed, and then we move in different ways to allow us to sense our own body’s way.

We spend a bit of time reviewing the Nia Moves and how they can be adjusted in regards to the planes, the intensity levels, and different body’s needs.

Then she spent time connecting the areas of the spine and body with the energy bodies or the chakras.

CHAKRA 1 | Base or RootAssociation to Core:  Pelvis
It is located at the base of the spine, near the coccyx, in the pelvic area between the perineum and the anus. It’s energy is associated with your legs, coccyx, rectum, and sex organs.

CHAKRA 2 | The Sensual Center (Sacral)Association to Core:  Pelvis
Sacral chakra is located in the lumbar region, just above the sexual organs, and about 2 to 3 inches below the navel.  It is above the root chakra. It’s energy is associated with male and female sexuality, survival, and creativity.

CHAKRA 3 | Solar PlexusAssociation to Core:  Chest
It is located at the mid-thoracic area near your solar plexus. It’s energy is associated with your will, self-confidence, and personal power.

CHAKRA 4 | The HeartAssociation to Core:  Chest
It is located in the center of your chest, at the first, second, and third thoracic vertebrae. It’s energy is associated with love, compassion, joy, and sorrow.

CHAKRA 5 | The ThroatAssociation to Core:  Head
It is located in your throat at the third cervical vertebra. It’s energy is associated with ability to be expressive, to speak up and stand for yourself and for what you believe to be true and real.

CHAKRA 6 | Brow or Third EyeAssociation to Core:  Head
It is located at the first cervical vertebra. It’s energy is associated with your connection to your intuition.

CHAKRA 7 | CrownAssociation to Core:  Head
It is located at the point of your pineal gland. It’s energy is associated with your connection to divine spirit, and soul energy.

She also covered the vowel sounds associated with each chakra, as have I in a previous post.

So along with studying what makes up the physical body, how it is put together, and how it was designed to move, we also studying the energy body.  We move in ways to keep the energy flowing and balanced and we can add sounds to help with that.  Nia is based on Western science as well as ancient beliefs.  Nia White Belt Principle 8 – Core / The Three Body Weights is a very deep principle indeed.

Posted in 2020 Nia White Belt Principles, Nia | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Amazonite Stone

Posted by terrepruitt on July 2, 2018

At the end of the Yin Yoga Teacher Training the instructors gave us a stone. We were to reach in and pull one out. The stones were all the same stone, but they were in different shapes. I had decided I was just going to reach in and pull out the first stone I touched. I wasn’t going to root around and try to find a shape I wanted. I just reached in and my hand came out with a heart shaped stone. YAY! I love heart shaped stones. The stone we were given was Amazonite.

Of course he told us about the stone before he gave it to us, but I forgot and I had to do some internet research in order to post this.

The stone is helpful to both the heart chakra and throat chakra. It is said to be a releasing and calming stone. So it can help you release things from your heart and also help you speak the truth. It can assist with communications. It also helps one see both sides of a situation. Because of these benefits it helps with relationships.

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, Nia Technique, SJ City Fit, SJCityFit, City of San Jose Exercise ClassesOne site says that the healing energies from this stone may help with gout, liver, heart, and nervous system related health problems.  And that it will help with your metabolism and sleep — AND help treat certain addictions.

It also helps block the pollution from the various devices around that can effect our health.

If you are one to believe in the energetic and healing properties of stones, this one is a good one to have around. It is a soft green color. It is pretty. And I am happy I grabbed the heart.

The following sites have more detailed information, in case you are interested:

Energy Muse Amazonite / Crystal Vaults Amazonite / The Healing Chest Amozonite

Is this stone something you might be interested in? 

Posted in Misc | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments »

Sound Mixing

Posted by terrepruitt on October 28, 2014

Whew!  I am so relieved.  Yesterday while I was thinking about starting to write my post for today, my computer froze.  Well, it was doing the “not responding” thing.  I had been in the process of shutting all my program so that I could start over, when one of them did that thing.  Usually it doesn’t respond for a few minutes then the program closes but this was taking longer.  I was impatient and I used my master switch to shut my computer down.  Well, it wouldn’t turn back on.  I don’t mean it started to boot up and then when wanky, I mean there was nothing.  Usually when I press on button the fans start working then the computer slowly turns on.  There was nothing.  My first thought was “OH NO!” and “Well, at least I know what to ask for as a Christmas present.”  I sent out a warning to my hubby.  I was warning him that he needed to be available as my “fix-it” guy.  Then I started to think about it.  The way it didn’t turn on.  The way there was NOTHING.  I was hoping it was an easy fix.  I couldn’t remember exactly what it was but there is a part that is the first place you start when the computer goes wanky.  Sometimes, as was the case with me the computer just won’t turn on, other times when the part is going bad it affects other things.  Anyway . . . I was hoping it was an easy fix.  I talked to my hubby and he reminded me of the part – power supply – and I told him that that was it.  The way it was not turning on was definitely power.  He agreed after he came home and looked at it.  So he grab me one during his day, came home and installed it and I am up and running again.  But I didn’t use the day without a computer to think of something to post.

I have a lot of things to post about and whatnot on my computer so when I don’t have something jumping out at me then I scrounge around my computer and find something.  Not having a computer would be the same problem I had on Saturday when I didn’t know what to post about.  I didn’t have access to my computer then either so I was floundering.

So, I am going to tell you what we did in Nia class today.  You know — if you’ve read a few of my post about my Nia classes — I am always wanting the participants in my Nia classes to sound.  I want them to make noise.  You may also know that many of the Nia students are getting much better.  You may also imagine that for people to make noise in a class while they are exercising it helps if they are all making the same noise.  People feel more comfortable.  One thing you probably don’t know is that I have one student who loves when we have “information” posted on the mirrors or in the class.  So I thought I would combine my desire to help people sound with her love of “post-ups”.

I have posted about Healing Sounds that I came across and I have posted about the sounds associated with the Chakras.  Well, I decided to use a combination of them.  I have a routine I put together of Nia songs.  I went through each one and thought of the prevailing sound in the song or a sound that would fit with a move in the song.  I made signs and taped them to the mirror.

In the first song the vocals are “AH” so we used AH as associated with helping to balance the Heart Chakra.  The next song, I don’t think are actual words, but to me it sounds as if the singer is saying, “Geee” so we had EEE (associated with the Crown Chakra).  We did some kicking in the third song so we sounded HAA, which is a healing sounds attributed to calming the heart and alleviating anger.  We used SHEE in our next song, the healing sound to relieve stress, tension, and anxiety.  Our fourth song had us dancing on one leg a lot so I thought the healing sound to help with balance would be good, SSS.  In one song we did something I call the Yo-Yo because I thought Carlos has called it that.  When we make that sound we say, “yo-yo”, so I thought the sound associated with the Solar Plexas Chakra – OH, as in “go” – would be good with that song.  In one song we danced stances and used our hips so I thought the OOO sound that helps with the Pelvic Chakra would be good to make while we danced.  The second to the last song, I picked SHOO, just because I like it and I think the situations associated with that healing sound is something to clear out.  That sound is for alleviating problems associated with depression.  The last song I decided that we could make the sounds associated with body temperature.  The Nia students could pick the one they felt they needed at the moment.  There is HOO for warming the body and FOO for cooling the body.

The idea was for them to have sounds in each song that we all would be making.  Although it was a set sound or even time.  We all made the sound as we wanted.  Sometimes someone would make it and we thought that sounded good so we would join in.  Sometimes I would lead, like for our kicks we said, “HAA!” and with our “yo-yo” move we said “OH, OH!”  But they were free to do what the were moved to do.  Also . . . we did not stick to the specifics of the sounds.  We were just saying them.  Sometimes we said it with our exhale in one long sound, sometimes we made it a chant . . . it was all up to the individual.  And, as I said, sometimes we would follow someone’s lead and do what they were doing.

It was great.  It was nice to have so much noise going on.  It was nice to have people making it their own.  It is always great when the Nia students sound.

Don’t you wanna join a Nia Class?  Don’t you wanna make some noise?

Posted in Nia | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Itch-less QUICK

Posted by terrepruitt on May 16, 2013

Recently I was doing some quick cleaning. As I started I felt an itch on my arm but I had just started cleaning and I was on a roll so I didn’t want to stop and look so, I kept cleaning. I have kept my box of essential oils on my coffee table for ease of use, so as I was moving them to clean the table I remembered that one of them states it helps with bug bites. I assumed without looking at my arm that it was a bug that had bit me.  It kept itching! So I decided to sit down to find the one that helps.  I had to read every bottle. I don’t yet know which oil does what so I have to read each bottle each time I want to use one. I found it. It is Eucalyptus Oil. I put it on the spot and the itch stopped instantly.  IMMEDIATELY!!!!! I was a little taken a back. It was amazing. I tipped the bottle onto my arm again. I wanted that effect to last!

According to the bottle it says:

“Fantastic on skin ailments such as burns, blisters, wounds, insect bites, lice and skin infections, as well as to combat the effects of colds and the flu. There is also a history of Eucalyptus essential oil being applied to sore muscles and joints.”

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia at the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, ZumbaI thought it was pretty cool that I remembered an essential oil would help with the bite.  I also thought is was really cool that it took the itching away instantly.  I am not sure if the swelling went down and the bite disappeared faster, but I do know the itching stopped and that is huge to me.  I mean I have had bites before and because they continue to itch I continue to scratch them and I know that does not help them go away any faster.  So this was great to me.

Other common uses for eucalyptus oil are for allergies, asthma, bronchitis, congestion, cough, emphysema, hay fever, pneumonia, and poison ivy.

I have not tried Eucalyptus Oil for any of the other things listed on the bottle.  I have also not tried if for most of the things listed as common uses.  I usually just breathe it in.  I have allergies and hay fever, so I think of it as helping clear my sinuses a bit.

As to the other uses I can not attest, I am not an essential oil expert nor a medical professional.  I am not stating here that eucalyptus oil will assist with or cure any of the issues as stated under common uses or any of the things on the bottle.  I am just here telling you what I used it for and how amazed I was at the result.  It was great.  The itch was gone!

Eucalyptus oil is also associated with opening and/or balancing the Heart Chakra as I mentioned in my post Chakras and Single Essential Oils, you can read that post by clicking here.

So there you have one of my experiences with essential oils.

How about you?  Have you had an experience with eucalyptus oil you want to share?

Posted in Essential Oils, Misc | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

A Lot Associated With Chakras

Posted by terrepruitt on August 18, 2012

I’ve written a few posts having to do a bit with chakras.  I’m still not all that familiar with chakras.  I believe them to be energy points in the body.  Points from which energy flows, both into/out of, to/from.  I read a site that said “the area of interconnection between the body and the spirit”.  I find that to be an interesting idea.  There is a lot of information out there about chakras —- a lot of information!  Not all of it matches up or is in agreement so I tend to look at a bunch of information and different sources and go with what I see the majority of and disregard the rest if I can’t find another source to corroborate the information.  Some information claims there are seven chakras, other information claims there are more.  I can see there maybe being more, but I am just focusing on learning about just seven since there is so much information out there.  Most information is in agreement with a few facets of chakras.  Most agree that there is a color associated with each chakra.  Most information agrees that there are other things associated with each chakra; a sound, a tone, a stone, and a symbol.  Some say a flower and/or a plant.  Most even agree with the idea that the chakras are associated with parts of the body and/or functions of the body.  But even though the information might all concur that there are all of these things associated with specific chakras, the information does not always agree with the details of the association.

I’ve seen that there is usually one color associated with a chakra.  But I have seen that there are many gemstones associated with each chakra. Sometimes the gemstone will be the same as the color, but sometimes not.  It could be that the stone is associated with the chakra but the different color is thought to do different things.  I posted about my pendant I purchased that is made up of the different chakra healing stones.  Those are not the only stones associated with the chakras.

A chakra is thought to be balanced or unbalanced.  An unbalanced chakra could be either open or closed.  With an unbalanced chakra the energy does not flow properly.  The energy being out of whack could cause physical ailments, symptoms, or actions.  In my post about the heart chakra I touched upon information that the heart chakra is associated with “the heart, the circulatory system, the entire chest area, lungs, breasts, the diaphragm, the thymus gland, the immune system, and some say the endocrine system.”  The chakras are often associated with feelings and emotions.  When I wrote that post I was sensing my lungs, they seemed to tickle and itch.  I believe since the heart chakra is affected by grief my lungs were being affected because that was shortly after my mother-in-law died.  It is even more significant that the heart chakra is located behind the sternum.

I think it is interesting to entertain the idea that there are chakras and these energy points are associated with body parts and body functions.  And if you have an unbalance in a specific chakra you could have physical issues.  As I was saying for me, I believe grief equaled itchy/cough lungs.  One of the challenges with chakras is, as I said, there is a lot of information out there and sometimes there is such a large association it is difficult to even really believe that it is the chakra that is unbalanced and that is why there is an issue.  Sometimes the list of things a chakra is associated with is just too lengthy to comprehend or the information contradicts itself.  Never the less I think it is interesting and for me it is something I think about when I am having a physical symptom.  I think is this a chakra imbalance manifesting itself as a physical issue.   While I don’t think chakra balancing is a substitute for medical attention when needed, sometimes it is still nice to know.

With all these thoughts about chakras it reminds me that I love to use chakras as the focus in my Nia classes.  I think I will us one as the focus in my next Nia class!

How do you feel about the whole chakra thing?  Are you a believer?  Do you know much about them?

Posted in Chakras | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Chakra Vowel Sounds — AH!

Posted by terrepruitt on April 28, 2012

When I first discovered Nia I bought The Nia Technique Book to see if I would be able to do it.  I don’t mean do it as in do the moves and participate in a class, I mean do it as in “get into it”, as in understand it.  It sounded a bit “woo-woo” to me.  Listening to your body, voices of the body, energy this, moving energy that.  I wasn’t sure I could sync it up with my beliefs.  But as I studied it more I realized that it is based on science.  It involves human kinetics.  Most of the moves, although called the 52 Nia moves are quite common and are seen in many other types of exercises and workouts.  The ones that I consider unique are probably part of some other dance I am not familiar with.  And the “woo-woo” part, well, I realized that it is woo-woo – at least that is how many people think of certain things like energy, chakras, mind-body, and body-mind practices.  I mean look at yoga, when I was young that was one of the “woo-wooest” things around and now people have embraced it.  There are so many types of yoga it is difficult to keep track.  For some they just ignore the woo-woo while others embrace it because they realize it makes sense.  I mean cultures have been using “woo-woo” stuff for centuries.  There is meditation, herbs, chanting, drumming — all types of other things that some people think of woo-woo.  The woo-woo must not be too far off base though because it seems to work.  Recently my posts have been about healing sounds and making sounds, this post is about the vowel sounds related to the chakras and I am sure to some people it sounds a little, or maybe even a lot, “woo-woo”.  But I like to imagine that if you are reading this you are somewhat open to new things — even woo-woo things.  So you might be willing to try the healing sounds or even the vowel sounds of the chakras.

The vowel sounds related to the chakras are as follows:

CROWN CHAKRA:  EEE as in “me”

BROW/THIRD EYE CHAKRA:  AAA* as in “say”

THROAT CHAKRA:  EYE as in “my”

HEART CHAKRA:  AH as in “ma”

SOLAR PLEXUS CHAKRA:  OH as in “go”

PELVIC CHAKRA:  OOO as in “you”

ROOT CHAKRA:  UH as in “cup”

The idea is to say these sounds in a specific note.  If you have a keyboard or a phone with an app that has a keyboard or an app that can give you examples of the notes it might help you.  Or you might be musical and know what the notes sound like.

EEE is to be made in the B note
AAA is to be made in the A note
EYE is to be made in the G note
AH is to be made in the F note
OH is to be made in the E note
OOO is to be made in the D note
And UH is to be made in the C note

These sounds are to help open and heal the chakras.  Or to keep them balanced, all depends on your needs and your practice.

As with everything there is a wealth of information out there on how to “do” the vowels.  The commonalities I am seeing is to sit comfortable with a lengthened spine.  Be relaxed.  Use a normal breath.  Repeat each sound seven times.

I have used these sounds in my Nia classes when we are using a chakra as a focus.  I am going to take this list and use the vowels sounds just as I did the healing sounds.  The focus can be the chakra vowel sounds and we can create an intent from there.  Yay!  I love thinking of things to use as focuses in my classes.  I also think that sitting down to make these sounds as a specific exercise is a good idea. What do you think about chakra vowels?  Might you try the exercise?

*Many places note this as “AYE” but to me that is AYE, as in what a pirate says.  So I noted it as AAA, like Fonzie would say.  🙂

Posted in Chakras, Nia, Sounding | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments »

Heart Chakra Associations

Posted by terrepruitt on November 15, 2011

Yesterday after my Nia class I was looking for something to post about today.  I often look at my blog to see how many articles I have posted in each category.  I am sort of surprised that my “Misc” is surpassing my “Nia”, but I bet a lot of the post categorized under Misc mention Nia in some way.  I noticed Chakra only has two post and I know I said I was going to post more on that so I googled Chakra and lungs.  I have been sensing my lungs lately.  If you’ve read my blog for a bit you might know that I think that most of the time we don’t sense our body parts.  We don’t think about them and we don’t sense them.  When we sense them is it usually because something is up.  I don’t think about my back until it hurts.  I never sense my elbow until it is sore.  My toes are pretty much on their own until I hurt one.  So that is what I mean.  You don’t think about your heart or your lungs unless they are bothering you.  I don’t always like to assign the word PAIN to a sensation because it is not always pain.  I could just be an itch or a discomfort, either way, I am sensing them.  So I did a Chakra lung search.  I don’t know why I was surprised.  The chakra that affects the lungs is the heart chakra.

The heart chakra is the fourth chakra.  It located in the middle of your chest.  The color associated with it is green.  In the body the associations to the heart chakra are the heart, the circulatory system, the entire chest area, lungs, breasts, the diaphragm, the thymus gland, the immune system, and some say the endocrine system. One website states:  “Possible Physical Symptoms: Heart Issues, Lung & Breathing Problems, Upper Back Pain, Breast Cancer, Compromised Immune System, Blood Diseases.”

The fourth chakra is where feelings and emotions of love originate.   Joy, honesty, happiness, generosity, compassion, respect, and understanding are associated with the heart chakra.

The heart chakra is affected by grief.  I was just thinking that my itchy lungs could be a result of a less than happy heart chakra.  I was reminded by this one site that the middle of the chest would be right behind the sternum.  The sternum and rib cage protect the actual heart and organs.  This information made me lean even more towards those thoughts.

Several sites stated an exercise that could be performed to help balance the heart chakra is to vigorously rub your hands together.  This opens the energy in the hands which are connected to the heart’s energy.

So interesting.  I still do not understand all the energies in the body and in the world, but I see how it can all be connected and how sometimes certain energies can become block or unbalanced.  It amazes me to see how it all connects.  But if you believe that it DOES all connect, then it might be that you can understand how a sad heart could have itchy lungs.

Have a day full of light!

Posted in Chakras | Tagged: , , , , , , | 12 Comments »

The Fourth Chakra

Posted by terrepruitt on February 17, 2011

The focuses of my Nia classes this week were connected to love.  Since is was Valentine’s Day this week.  Monday’s Nia class the focus was Love with the intent of allowing what was needed.  Whether it was to give love to the community, the world, or oneself or to receive love from the community, the world, or for oneself.  The playlist was LOVEly.  Wednesday the focus was peace.  With somewhat the same intent but with the addition of the peace inviting in calm.  The playlist was the same . . . love, kisses, and hearts.  Tomorrow’s class in Los Gatos the focus will be the fourth chakra, the heart chakra.

The routine I’ve put together allows for the many opportunities to move the upper back, chest and the ribs.  Our intent will be move the physical area where the heart chakra is located in order to open the heart chakra.  Opening this chakra invites feelings of joy.  Joy shares company with calm.  With joy and calmness as companions additional positive feelings, sensations, and states of being are experienced such as compassion, prosperity, and abundance.  This also allows for connections to peace and harmony.

Also with moving our heart chakra we are enhancing our circulation.  Concentration and focus is a powerful tool.  While we might move our upper back, chest, and ribs it will undoubtedly affect our circulation but with the additional focus on the fourth chakra we can bring extra attention to it.  Bringing whatever healing to our heart chakra that might be needed.  This will round out the week of love quite well, I believe.

Posted in Chakras, Nia | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Healing Stones

Posted by terrepruitt on March 4, 2010

Recently I have become curious about healing stones. I am wanting to learn more about Chakras and in doing some research about them I came across information about colors and gemstones that heal. It is all very interesting to me. I am at the point where I believe that everything holds energy. But how or if that energy transfers over from stones and has the power to heal, I am still iffey on that.

I have come up with ideas and reason where I can comfortably accept that this is possible so, I figured why not get some pretty jewelry to boot.

Here is my first piece of chakra jewelry. I have been told that silver has strong healing properties, but I just don’t wear silver, so in my search to find something that I would wear that was under $70.00, I found this. I thought it was gorgeous, so when I saw that it was under $30.00 I figured that I was meant to have it. I had been looking for weeks, so I was so excited to find this. When I received it, I was not disappointed.

CROWN CHAKRA: Amethyst for spiritual awareness, meditation & transformation
BROW CHAKRA: Sodalite for higher knowledge, intuition, wisdom
THROAT CHAKRA: Blue Agate for courage, strength, acceptance
HEART CHAKRA: Malachite for balance, peace, healing
SOLAR PLEXUS CHAKRA: Aragonite for truth, mental and emotional stability
PELVIC CHAKRA: Peace aventurine for prosperity, success & creativity
ROOT CHAKRA: Poppy Jasper for healing, grounding, and completion.

I believe it is actually “gold plated” wire, but it is awesome. I will continue to research this information and post as I learn and go along.

Posted in Chakras | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments »

Same ol’ Nia Routine – NOT!

Posted by terrepruitt on February 23, 2010

When we do a Nia routine we set a focus and an intent.  In my classes I set a class focus and intent but participants are always welcome to set their own.  To focus on whatever they need at that moment.  I am not sure if I have mentioned it before on my blog, but a focus and an intent can greatly alter the Nia routine.  Recently I subbed a Nia class for another Nia teacher, in a different part of San Jose.  I had planned and practiced the routine I wanted to teach.  I had a feeling that the teacher had taught it because it is a new routine and a lot of teachers tend to start teaching those right away.  When I arrived I announced to the class that I would be teaching Sexi.  A few of the women, voiced some concerns.  They mentioned that their shoulders hurt.  They said that it was the routine that made their shoulders hurt. 

Well, there is so much to be said about that.  Nia is designed specifically NOT to hurt.  So it could be that their shoulders had been pushed too hard, but not by the routine.  🙂  It could be that their shoulders weren’t injured but were just sore.  Sometimes soreness, because it is a form of “pain”, is perceived as pain that one needs to be concerned about because there is an injury instead of just the “pain” that comes with moving a body part that has not been moved in a long time or has been moved in a way it is not accustomed to.  And that is just a FEW things that can be said.  At the beginning of a class where there is other classes that follow and a group of people to be attended it is not always possible to give each individual personal attention required—as they would get from a personal training session.  So what I suggested was for them to NOT move so vigorously. 

Before we started, I gave them the option of changing the routine.  I would have gladly done a different Nia routine in order for them to have a good time in their workout and to not be doing a routine they were tired of or a routine they felt injured them. But they said that it was ok, I could do Sexi.  And I was so happy, because I knew it would be different.  I advised them that even though we were going to do the same routine, we were going to use a different focus.

The original focus of Sexi is the spine.  When the spine is mentioned one thing people might think of is the back.  Even though this routine employs many movements to move the spine, with the focus being the spine one might be thinking “back”. 

Well, I changed the focus to the front.  The focus I set forth was actually the Fourth Chakra, the Heart Chakra. And I read out of the Nia Technique Book, as Debbie Rosas is always encouraging us to do.  The book states that this energy center is affected most by the motions of your rib cage and chest.  With that information it moved the physical focus to the front.

So we danced Sexi.  We danced Sexi sexy.  Oh yeah.  With our focus being the heart chakra and the intention being to allow a connection with love, compassion, joy, and sorrow–we danced.

While we danced I reminded the group to be aware of their shoulders and to try NOT to move them in the way that caused the pain.  Afterwards, the ones that had voiced concerns said they were glad that we did it.  They were able to do the same routine, but change the focus and therefore changing the routine.  I love that about Nia.  Because the focus is different the same routine is different.  Because I am different the routine is different.  Because the moves are basically the same, but the focus is different they were able to get an entirely different workout.  Just another wonderful aspect of Nia.

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